Flamin’ June, eh? And we’re not just talking about the weather. There’s the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee extended bank holiday weekend starting today, the Euro 2012 footy kicking off on 8th, the return of the Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon on 9th, and the Liverpool International Tennis Tournament from 21st to 24th, ahead of Wimbledon on 25th June. This month’s Liverpool Acoustic Newsletter also sees a number of local music festivals mentioned too (see our June Diary Selection Box below), plus the last ever Family Folk-up, so there’s plenty to keep us busy as we head into summer.

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC AFTERNOON

This month sees the return of the Liverpool Acoustic Afternoon which is taking place on Saturday 9th June 2012 at the View Two Gallery. The event runs from 1.00pm to 4.00pm, and we’ve got three booked acts plus a load of 10 minute open mic slots.

The open mic spaces will be filled on a “first come, first served” basis.

The gallery opens at 12.00pm and closes at 5.00pm, and throughout the afternoon the bar will be open serving tea, coffee, beer and wine. Why not come along, relax, and listen to some great acoustic music at one of Liverpool’s finest independent art venues?

All of our future live events can be found at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/live and if you want to receive information about tickets before they go on general sale then sign up to our events publicity mailing list here.

LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC LIVE

This month’s Liverpool Acoustic Live this month is on Friday 22nd June 2012 at the View Two Gallery and has a definite folky feel to it, with one of the best folk rock bands around, Galley Beggar, coming up from London, Atlas Twins visiting from Chester, Laura&Claire popping along from Widnes, and Mark Byrne wandering in from Old Liverpool Town.

Galley Beggar

Mark Byrne

Atlas Twins

Laura&Claire

Tickets are available in advance for £5 from wegottickets.com/liverpoolacoustic or for £6 on the night when the doors open at 8.00pm. The music starts at 8.30pm and goes through to just after 11.00pm.

All of our future live events can be found at liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/live and if you want to receive information about tickets before they go on general sale then sign up to our events publicity mailing list here.

DIARY NEWS

Here’s our latest list of new events that have started, and current events that have changed or ended. You can follow more up-to-date news on our twitter feed twitter.com/lpoolacoustic – tweet, tweet!

You say goodbye…

Liverpool Acoustic recently received an email from a musician who was a little bit annoyed that they’d gone to ‘a number of events’ in the diary, only to find out that they were no longer taking place. It’s just a shame she didn’t reply when we asked her to let us know which events had stopped… If you know of anything in the diary that’s out of date then don’t just moan about it, tell us which ones they are!

And I say hello…!

OVER Spill @ The Brink is a new event taking place every two weeks and hosted by local performer Tom O’Rourke. It’s booked acts and open mic from 8.00pm to 11.00pm. The next one is this coming Tuesday 5th June, so why not pop down and say hi? It’s a great way to end the extra Bank Holiday, and it’s free.

The Basement Folk @ Vinyl is a new weekly open mic night in the Lark Lane basement bar venue. It’s free entry and runs every Wednesday from 8.30pm to midnight. Email oldetimereligion@gmail.com for more details.

Live Sessions @ The Chronicle Pub, Bebington. The is a weekly event every Friday from 9pm to midnight which could feature anything from one talented local artist taking to the stage for the whole night, to three or four acts sharing the evening. It’s free to attend, and if you’re interested in playing then email Zoë at thechroniclebebington@hotmail.com

JUNE DIARY SELECTION BOX

Here’s a selection of some of the acoustic events taking place in June. Click on the event in the diary for full details and links.

Friday 1st – Walsh & Pound @ The Unity – Dan Walsh and Will Pount have been labelled respectively as ‘the UK’s top clawhammer banjoist’ and ‘one of the most original harmonica players in Britain’. 8pm, tickets £12 here

Friday 1st to Monday 4th – Chester Folk Festival taking place in Kelsall (8 miles from Chester) this year’s festival features local stars The Jaywalkers and Graham Bellinger & the Deportees, alongside big hitters Chris Wood, Steve Tilston, Maggie Boyle, Blackbeard’s Tea Party, and many more. Full details from chesterfolk.org.uk and you can get your tickets here.

Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd – XY Festival - taking place at The Shipping Forecast, the O2 Academy, and St Luke’s Bombed Out Church. All the details are on the event page on facebook. Acoustic treats include The Hummingbirds, Dominic Dunn, Ali Ingle and more tbc, and weekend wristbands are a snip at only £10.

Tuesday 5th – all-day Open Mic @ Elevator Bar – to celebrate the extra bank holiday, Elevator Bar will be hosting an all-day open mic with 20 minute slots available – it you want one email cris@elevatorbar.com – the stage opens at noon, and the plan is to run through to 8pm, although it could be longer if there are more performers wanting to play (and claim their free drink afterwards!).

Wednesday 6th – My Darling Clementine @ Grateful Fred’s, Formby British Legion – Michael Weston King and Lou Dalgleish touring as a duo for the first time. Tickets £8 in advance, and last time we checked there were only 8 left!

Saturday 16th – The Songbook Sessions @ The Zanzibar – monthly showcase event which this month features The Hummingbirds, Teasing Demons, The Sterlings, Ivy and the Chance, and Gary McGinniss. Entry £4 on the doors at 7.30pm. Facebook event here.

Thursday 21st – Amelia Curran & Lizzie Nunnery @ The Rodewald Suite (Liverpool Phil) – two of the UK’s finest musicians and writers together on the same bill. Details here.

Friday 22nd – Strings and Things @ Leaf. A new night built on the non-profit co-operative model, with the money being split between the artists. That’s got to be good, hasn’t it? facebook.com/stringsandthingspage

Sunday 24th – Croxteth Park Music Festival featuring the 4.20s, The Hummingbirds, The Romleys, Ivy and the Chance, The Splintered Ukes, and more. Details here.

Thursday 28th – Woody Guthrie Folk Club @ The Ship & Mitre – after a sell-out celebration at The Phil, the WGFC is back on Dale Street for more songs of rebellion and justice. Tickets only £3, and singers get this back.

Saturday 30th – Last ever Family Folk-up @ St Brides – for their last ever gig the Random Family are joined by Sparkwood & 21, Clean Cut Kid, and SJ Downes. It’s Bring Your Own Drink as usual at St Bride’s, the facebook event is here, and £5 tickets are here. This is sure to sell out so if you want to go get your tickets now.

JULY DIARY SNEEK PEEK

Now that you’ve had this month’s lowdown, here are some events coming up next month that deserve a bit more advance notice.

AND FINALLY…

The Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight is always looking for acoustic music from local artists or bands to play on the show. If you’re interested then visit liverpoolacoustic.co.uk/spotlight and scroll down to the ‘Taking part’ section to find out how to submit a track.

Liverpool Acoustic is the only website of its kind in the UK. It was created by Graham Holland in April 2008 as a central resource for the vibrant and exciting acoustic music scene in Liverpool and the Greater Merseyside area. It contains an extensive diary of acoustic events, from festivals, theatre concerts and folk clubs to showcases and open mic nights. The News and Reviews service is available as a free email subscription and carries previews of upcoming events, reviews of music releases and gigs, the Liverpool Acoustic Spotlight podcast, and a newsletter on the first of each month.